Soap-dispensing apparatus



June 3, 1930. CORDELL ET AL 1,761,875

SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1930. H, CORDELL El AL 1,761,875

SOAP DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [2206/ flew/y ands/Z V Patented June 3, .1930

henna-wanna, or Will-EETTE, AND EARI PEARL snUL'rIs, or WAUKEGAN, ILLI- ASSIGNORS 'I'OVJU. s. SANITARY 'sraommms CORPORATION, or CHICAGO,-

mmoisx 'coarom'rron or ILLINOIS SOAP-DISPENSING APPARATUS Application filed September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,185.

- .This invention. relates to an apparatus 7 for'dispensing soap paste or like material 1n measured quantities, and is intended for use particularly in .public lavatories or washrooms where devices of this character are commonly employed. I

- The ob'ect of this invention is to provide a soap dispensin apparatus which may be readily charge from time to time, and to .io alsomake' provision for the disabling of 7 empty cans so that the same may not be recharged after a single use- A further object of the invention is to so design the apparatus that pressure will be applied to the soap concurrently with the retraction of a valve permitting the charging of the spout in preparation for its final ejectionby the return movement of the valve, so that the soap in a substantially determined amount will be forcibly ejected, the parts being. restored to normal, or closed position by the return movement of the operating handle, 7 p V v Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings whereint j F igure, 1 is a front elevation of a pressure apparatus enclosed in'the casing;

line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is across sectional view taken on line 3-3 of,Fig. 2'; 3

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the-apparatus;

Q .and

Fig. 5 is a modification of the operating handle mechanism. I V

The apparatus as a whole is carried by a frame. plate 10 rovided at its lower end with an outstanding lower leg 11 and at its upper end with an outstanding upper leg. 12. The lower legll carries-a platform 13 which is vshouldered around its periphery 14 t0 receive a can or container '15 for the soap which. is in a paste or semi-solid condition.

The soap can or; container-is provided in its bottom with an outlet port 16 which is broughtinto register with a forwardlysloping discharge duct 17 which merges into a 5 valve chamber 18 formed on the bottom of the Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken onplatform 13 and extending outwardly and terminatin in a mouth 19 from which the soap or similar material is ejected. The valve chamber houses a slide valve 21, the inner end of which, when thrust forward, will lie transversely of the discharge duct 17 and block the discharge of soap therefrom.

The valve 21 terminates at its rear end in a rearwardly extending rigid arm 22 which is provided with a depending pin 23 which engages with a normally diagonally disposed cam slot 24 formed in a swinging arm 25 mounted upon a vertically extending rock shaft 26 which extends through the lower and upper legs of the frame and terminates in a l1ead 27 bearing upon a washer 28 positioned upon a boss 29 formed on the surface of the upper leg 12 near the rear end thereof. This arrangement brings the rock shaft 26 into close parallel relation to the frame plate 10 at the rear of the apparatus and outside of the soap can. Throck shaft 26 is actuated by means of a bifurcated arm 30 normally extending in oblique relation, as indicated in Fig. 3, which bifurcated QIIHCO-aC tS with a pin 31 carried by an arm 32 projecting from an operating lever shaped handle 33 by which the apparatus is actuated.

The handle 33 is provided near its inner end with a dog 34 pressed inwardly by a spring 35, which dog coacts with a ratchet 36 keyed to the lower end of an internally threaded bushing 37 which meshes with an externally threaded plunger rod 38 rigidly secured at its lower end to a follower plate 39 which fits within and bears against a flanged cap 40 for the soap can, which cap bears directly against the contents of the can and serves to eject the same.- In order to disrupt and destroy the utility of the can after complete ejection of a charge of soap, so as to preventrefilling, the cap is provided on its inner surface with pins 41 which serve at the termination of the travel of the cap to pierce the bottom 42 of the can and preventreuse of the same.

The bushing 37 at its upper end is provided with a flange 43, and the bushing is jour- .naled for rotation within a bracket head 44 formed on the inner end of the upper frame are housed within a cylindrical casing 47 provided with a hinged door 48 the upper portion of which casing is provided with an elongated slot 49 which permits reciprocation of the operating lever or handle 33 and limits the throw thereof. The frame 10, as shown, is secured to a wall plate 50 by screws 51, and the platform 13 is reinforced by brace bars 52. The upper frame leg 12 is also additionally reinforced by a brace bar 53, although these details may be changed ormodified, as

desired, and the entire frame structure and housing cast as a unit. As shown in Fig. 5, the 0 crating lever may be shortened and a push utton 54 employed which is connected with a short lever arm 55, and serves to rock the same, a spring 56 serving to restore the parts to normal position.

In use, the follower 39 is retractedto its uppermost position by a turning of the knurled head 46. As the plunger rod is turned, it will thread back through the bushing 37 which will be held against rotation by the spring contact of the dog 34, but after the plunger has been completely retracted to bring the follower 39 into contact with the under face of the ratchet 36, the ratchet will begin to turn despite the spring pressure of the dog in an anti-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fi 3. This will limit the upfeeding of the Follower which, of course, will travel upwardly only so long as the threaded bushing 37 maintains a non-rotative relation, and this arrangement prevents an overturning of the parts.

.After the follower has been retracted, a can of soap will be inserted in position to bring its outlet port into register with the discharge duct, and the plunger rod 38 will then be screwed down into easy contact with the cap of the can, after which it is-desirable to remove the knurled head 46 so that the plunger rod 38 cannot thereafter be easily operated save by the action of the dog and ratchet. The parts are now in condition for the measured dispensing of the soap.

With the dog and operating lever in the position shown in Fig. 3, the lever will be thrust forward to the limit of the slot 49, and this will rotate the ratchet and with it the threaded bushing which will thus turn around the threaded plunger rod, which latter will be frictionally held against rotation by contact of the follower 39 with the cap of the can.

This results in a down feeding of the plunger rod which applies pressure to the mass ofs'oap withm the can or container, and concurrently with the application of pressure, the pin 31 on the arm 32 will swing the bifurcated arm 30 which rocks the shaft 26 so that, during the forward movement of the operating handle,

the valve 21 will be retracted, and the soap subjected to pressure from behind will be forced down through the dischar e passage 16 toeject the measured quantity of soap previ-' ously forced down, intothe hand of the user for washing purposes. Thereafter, with every operation of the machine, a charge of soap forced into the valve chamber will be ejected so that the apparatus will always act to eject a measuredg'uantity of soap with each operation of the handle.

The swing or thrust of the handle should be adjusted to the proper degree to apply sufficient pressure in each case to fill up the terminal portion of the spout without imposing such a high degree of pressure as would tend to cause an ejection of soap by ressure from above prior to the advance 0 the plunger valve. Such regulation of the amplitude of movement can be effected by making the slot 49 of proper length to accommodate the de-' s1red movement of the lever, although other .means for limiting such movement may be employed. 7

The .device is one which co-ordinates the feeding and-dischargin movements in such a way as to effect a uni orm and certain discharge of the soap, and prevents a dribbling down and wasting of the soap which might take place ifadequate means were not rovided for relieving the soap in the mout of the spout 17 from the pressure of the soap column above, but by provision of the valve plunger 21, the soap in the spout will be positively segregated from the mass of soap above and positively ejected, so that such wasteful discharge will be prevented.

We claim: 1

1. In a dispensing apparatus of the character described, the combination of a shouldered platform having a discharge duct, a container adapted to contain a semi-solid substance andhaving one end arranged to be secured on the shoulderof said platform, a plunger operable within said container to apply pressure to the material therein coning with said discharge duct, a valve chamber extendingtransversely of the discharge duct,

a plunger valve operable .within said chamber and across the mouth of said duct and adaptrock sha ed when retracted to permit down flow of material into said chamber in advance of the plunger and adapted when thrust forwardly to eject the previously deposited char e of material and cut off the further flow 0 material through the duct, and means connected with the handle for retracting the plunger valve during the initiatory movement of the handle and adapted to advance the plunger valve during the final movement of the handle, substantially as described.

2. In a dispensing apparatus of the charactor described,-the combination of a platform having a discharge duct, a container secured thereon and adapted to contain a semi-solid substance, a plunger operable within said container to apply pressure to the material therein contained, a horizontally swinging handle and connections for imparting a predetermined down feeding movement to the plunger with each operation of the handle, the container near its bottom communicating with said discharge duct, a valve chamber extending transversely of the discharge duct, a plunger valve operable within said chamber and across the mouth of said duct and adapted when retracted to permit down flow of material into said chamber in advance of the plunger and adapted when thrust forwardly to eject the previousl deposited charge of material and cute the further flow of material through the duct, a rock shaft extending exteriorly of the container, a in and slot connection between said and said handle, and connections between said rock shaft and said plunger valve for retracting the plunger valve d-urm the initiatory movement of the handle an advancing the plunger valve during the final movement of the handle, substantially as described.

3. An open can for use in connection with dispensing apparatus consisting of a surrounding imperforate wall, a removable imperforate cover having a flange in close sliding engagement with said wall, and a flat bottom havin a depending flange around. its margin where the bottom of the can may be sup orted' eely above the lower edge of the ange, said bottom having a discharge pensing ap aratus consisting of a surrounding imper orate wall, an imperforate flat cover having an outwardly turned flange in close sliding engagement with said wall, and having a perforating projection depending from the inner face of the cover, and a flat bottom having a depending flange formed around its margin whereb the bottom of the can may be suported free y above the lower edge of the flange, the bottom having a 'discharge port formed therein, substantially as described.

6. In a dispensing apparatus of the character described, the combination of a platform having an annular flange, a raised portion within said annular flan e and containing a discharge duct, a container adapted to contain a semi-solid substance and having a flat bottom containing a discharge port adapted to register with said discharge duct, a flange depending below said bottom and adapted to secure the can upon the annular shoulder of the latform with the bottom raised above the p atform and in contact with said raised part containing the discharge duct, a plunger operable within said container to apply pressure to material therein contained, a valve mechanism for controlling said discharge duct, a handle, and operative connections between said handle andplunger for depressing said plunger and between said handle and valve mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a can comprising a surrounding imperforate wall, an imper orate cover having a flan e in close sliding engagement with said we 1, and a flat bottom having a depending flange around its margin where y the bottom of the can may be su portedfreel above the lower edge of t e flange, said ottom having a discharge port formed therein, and a dispensing apparatus comprising means adapted to apply inward pressure on said imperforate cover and sup porting means adapted to support said flange and bottom, said means bein provided with an opening adapted to register with said discharge port. 4 I

HENRY CORDELL. EARL PEARL SHULTIS.

port formed therein, substantlally as described.

4. A can for use in connection with dispensing apparatus consisting of a surrounding imper orate wall, an imperforate flat cover having an outwardly turned flange in close sliding engagement with said wall, and 

